School for Art Leaders

Committed to supporting art educators in their quest to excel as leaders, NAEA has designed a 21st century flagship program: School for Art Leaders at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

The Program

Since 1947, art educators representing all states, regions, and work contexts have provided volunteer leadership service that has shaped the field of art education and positioned the National Art Education Association (NAEA) as the premier professional community for art educators. Committed to supporting art educators in their quest to excel as leaders, NAEA has designed a 21st-century flagship program: School for Art Leaders. Utilizing experiential action learning modules and in-depth conversations with expert leaders, the program provides participants with learning experiences and skills to successfully lead in any environment.

Those selected for each class annually will contribute to the development of an extraordinary community cohort committed to leadership excellence. Upon successful completion, participants become members of the national School for Art Leaders network and are positioned to excel as leaders in education, the arts, and advocacy.

We get the right people together—an annual cohort of peers is selected from among applicants to represent
diverse professional experience, demographics, ethnicity, and gender.

We introduce relevant and timely ideas about leadership—gain access to others working in this space, to useful
tools and resources, to experiential learning, and to rigorous application of knowledge and understanding.

Together, we engage meaningful/mindful learning—give and receive feedback from peers; work with expert
mentors to refine learning.

Together, we get to work—apply learning through your own unique design and execution of leadership
experiments; step into leadership roles within your local, state, and national professional communities and mentor
other emerging leaders.

Eligibility and Application Selection

Eligibility
Art education professionals who are new to leadership as well as those who have a range of leadership experience and are looking to enhance their skills are encouraged to apply. Successful applicants will:

Have five years or more of professional practice and currently be working as an art educator (school/school district, museum, college/university, local or state agency, community organization, or other work context)

Commit to fully participating in the program, including the longitudinal study on leadership impact in art education upon completion of the program

Have organizational support from a state association and/or your school/institution

NAEA expects that the graduates of the program will actively apply their leadership skills in ways that will enhance their institutions, and/or NAEA and its affiliates, and contribute a positive impact on the field of art education.

Program Commitment
The seven-month program begins on June 12, 2019, at 8:00 pm ET with an orientation webinar. The program ends January 31, 2020. There is a required onsite five-day intensive learning module, July 8 - 12, 2019, followed by online virtual learning modules that run August through January; a final Capstone project is completed and submitted by January 31, 2020. The 2019 School for Art Leaders Class will be recognized and celebrated during the 2020 NAEA National Convention in Minneapolis.

Application Process
The completed application for the 2019 NAEA School for Art Leaders Class must be received by Monday, April 1, 2019.

Where you are in your career and why leadership development is important to you at this time

How participation will benefit your work as an art educator

One letter of recommendation to include:

How the recommending individual knows you/how long

Why you are a good candidate

Evidence of leadership potential

Resume limited to one to two pages

All applications are confidential. NAEA will send an e-mail confirming receipt of your application within two business days of receipt.

Program Fee
There is no application fee. Once accepted, a program fee of $799 for members and $860 for non-members must be submitted by June 7, 2019. The program fee includes access to all courses and related materials, including the onsite intensive program at Crystal Bridges. Travel and housing are additional and at the expense of the participant. NAEA works to secure competitive and optional housing rates.

Selection Process
Each class is limited to 25 individuals annually. Each application is carefully read and scored by a Selection Committee, made up of a diverse group of active NAEA leaders who remain anonymous throughout the selection process. The Selection Committee is committed to NAEA’s goal of supporting the leadership development of art educators toward creating a pool of leader-ready individuals to advance the profession and the field. Selection will be based on the committee’s evaluation of the readiness for the experience and application of the leadership skills. The selection will also ensure diverse professional experience, volunteer service, geographic designation, ethnicity, and other indications of
leadership potential.

Professional Development Credit2019 School for Art Leaders
CSU, Chico Regional & Continuing Education provides 45 hours of instructional learning which is eligible for 3 professional development units; or for 3 graduate units for a letter grade. For further information, visit http://rce.csuchico.edu/teachers/naea.